Ha Young was supposed to be enjoying one of the biggest moments of her career with Our Sticky Love. Instead, her first major leading role has been caught in a controversy involving her great-grandfather’s alleged ties to a pro-Japanese organization during Korea’s colonial era. The issue has quickly spilled over into the promotion of the Netflix romantic comedy, putting the actress under intense public scrutiny.
The controversy began after Ha Young appeared on the Korean variety show Problem Child in House on August 7. During the appearance, she talked about her family’s medical background and mentioned her great-grandfather, Dr. Ahn Sang Ho, in connection with that family history. Reports later surfaced alleging that he had been associated with Daejeong Chinmokhoe, an organization linked to Japan’s assimilation policies during the colonial period.
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What made the situation even more sensitive was the timing. South Korea was preparing to mark Liberation Day on August 15, a national holiday commemorating the country’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Because of that historical context, the allegations surrounding Ha Young’s great-grandfather quickly became a much bigger public issue than a simple celebrity family-history story.
Ha Young’s agency initially responded to the controversy with a statement, but later revised its position after facing criticism. The actress also apologized publicly, saying she had not known about the alleged historical activities of her great-grandfather when she previously spoke about her family. Her agency subsequently expressed regret over the situation and acknowledged the seriousness of the controversy.
The fallout has already affected Our Sticky Love‘s promotional plans. Several promotional activities involving Ha Young were reportedly canceled or adjusted as the controversy continued to grow, leaving the actress’s co-star Jung Hae-in to continue promoting the drama. The situation has created an awkward atmosphere around a series that was supposed to be introducing Ha Young to viewers in a major new role.
Ironically, Our Sticky Love itself has been receiving attention for reasons completely unrelated to the controversy. The Netflix drama follows a prosecutor who loses her memory and ends up being protected by a former boxer-turned-gangster who claims to be her boyfriend. The unusual mix of romance, comedy, crime, and mistaken identity has already made the series stand out among recent K-dramas.
Ha Young plays Go Eun-sae, the amnesiac woman at the center of that bizarre situation, and international reviews have noticed her performance. Decider, for example, praised her comedic timing and described her character’s situation as one of the show’s most entertaining elements. That makes the controversy particularly unfortunate, because her performance in the drama was beginning to attract attention on its own.
The controversy may also have consequences beyond Our Sticky Love. Ha Young is reportedly attached to the sequel of The Trauma Code, meaning the current backlash could potentially affect how audiences respond to her upcoming work as well. For now, however, the biggest question remains how the controversy will develop as Our Sticky Love continues its run and Ha Young’s character remains at the center of the story.
